According to Healthline.com, “People with high blood pressure are thought to have an impaired ability to use nitric oxide in their bodies. (1, 2)
“High blood pressure occurs when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is consistently too high.
“Over time, high blood pressure can lead to health issues such as heart disease and kidney disease.
“It has been shown that a diet high in fruits and vegetables decreases blood pressure and therefore lowers the risk of disease (3).
“This has led researchers to test the beneficial effects of certain compounds found in fruits and vegetables on blood pressure levels.
Nitrate
“Nitrate is a compound found in beetroot and dark leafy greens like spinach and arugula.
“When you consume nitrate, your body converts it to nitric oxide.
“Nitric oxide is produced by nearly every type of cell in the human body and one of the most important molecules for blood vessel health. It’s a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes the inner muscles of your blood vessels, causing the vessels to widen. In this way, nitric oxide increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure.
“Many studies have shown nitrate may help lower blood pressure by increasing the production of nitric oxide (4,5,6,7).”
The lining of the blood vessels and heart is called the endothelium. The endothelium cells make nitric oxide.
There are numerous factors that affect the endothelial cells’ ability to make nitric oxide. One of those factors is excess fat in the diet.
Dr. Robert Vogel of the University of Maryland School of Medicine conducted studies that showed what a toxic effect a single meal can have on the endothelium. His studies found that 2 hours after eating a fatty meal there was a significant drop in endothelial function.(8)
If you have high blood pressure, there’s a good chance your body is not making enough nitric oxide because your endothelium is not functioning at its optimum.
If your endothelium cells are compromised and not able to make sufficient nitric oxide to support your blood vessel and heart health there are natural ingredients that can help:
L-Citrulline
The body changes L-citrulline into another amino acid called L-arginine and also to nitric oxide. L-citrulline might help open up veins and arteries to improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure.
L-Arginine
L-Arginine is used to make nitric oxide.
Beet Root Powder
Nitrate is a compound found in beetroot. When you consume nitrate, your body converts it to nitric oxide, which in turn causes blood vessels to relax and dilate, lowering blood pressure.
Grape Seed Extract
Grape seed extract contains several polyphenols, including OPCs (Oligomeric proanthocyanidins) from the grape seeds. The OPCs from grape seeds are very effective at increasing nitric oxide. Human studies show that it may lower blood pressure and heart rate.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that has been shown to improve nitric oxide release.
Potassium Citrate
An increase of potassium may swell and soften the endothelial cells and increases the release of nitric oxide.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C can enhance levels of nitric oxide by increasing its bioavailability and maximizing its absorption in the body. Research shows that it may also bump up levels of nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme needed for the production of nitric oxide.
Magnesium Citrate
Studies show that magnesium supplements may help reduce blood pressure by increasing the production of nitric oxide.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol may stimulate nitric oxide production.
CoQ10
Studies show that getting enough CoQ10 in your diet not only preserves nitric oxide but can also promote heart health.
Vitamin D3
A major discovery from studies is that vitamin D3 is a powerful stimulator of nitric oxide.
Vitamin B12
B vitamins increase nitric oxide production by reducing homocysteine levels in the blood.
Folic acid
Folic acid may improve nitric oxide bioavailability in individuals with compromised endothelial function.
Selenium
A combination of the free-radical scavengers Selenium and Vitamin E may result in a marked increase in the production of nitric oxide.
Eating more fruits and leafy green vegetables will help improve the nitric oxide levels in your body, too.
References:
1.“Nitric Oxide in Hypertension”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17170603/
2.“Impaired endothelial nitric oxide bioavailability: a common link between aging, hypertension, and atherogenesis?” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19054194/
3. The effects of dietary nitrate on blood pressure and endothelial function: a review of human intervention studies; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24134873/
4. Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients: a randomized, phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled study; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25421976/
5. Effect of Spinach, a High Dietary Nitrate Source, on Arterial Stiffness and Related Hemodynamic Measures: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Healthy Adults; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4525132/
6. Nitrate-Rich Vegetables Increase Plasma Nitrate and Nitrite Concentrations and Lower Blood Pressure in Healthy Adults; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27075914/
7. High-nitrate vegetable diet increases plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and reduces blood pressure in healthy women: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25683748/
8.Robert A. Vogel, Clinical Cardiology, June 1999: “Brachial Artery Ultrasound: A Noninvasive Tool in the Assessment of Triglycerides-Rich Lipoproteins.”